Vehicle top-support.



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P. K. LEWIS. VEHICLE TOP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED APB..6, 1912.

Pa tented Sept. 1, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTO-LlTHll. WASHING FUN D. c

FREf) LEWIS, or AsHTAis'ULA, onio, AssIGNon tro was; ASHT BULA [130w soeKE'r I 1 COMPANY, or .ASHTABULA, onr nconronmrionor omo.

VEHICLE ToP-s-uPPoR'r;

To-aZZ whomit may concermfa Be it known that I, FRED K. Lnwrs, a citizen of the United States, and a-resident of Ashtabula, county of Ashtabula, and

State of Ohio, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Top-Sup.

ports, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which ing means for vehicle tops of the canopy or cape type, which may be held in a raised or a lowered position. It is usual in this type of tops to provide mainsupportingmembers and auxiliary supporting members, which may be disconnected from the main sup-' ports when. the top is folded in its lower po sition in order to provide a snug and close fitting construction.

It is a simple matter to construct an eificiently operating and compactly folding top when the su porting members are all straight, but in t e flared tops now in such general use, it is necessary to provide a constru'ction which will permit of compact folding of the'main and auxiliary supports which, in many cases, are both of curved construction.

To the accomplishment of these andrelatedends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constitut ng, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may beused;

In said annexed drawing:Figure 1 isa front view showing the main and auxiliary supporting members in their positionsv when the top is raised; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of these two members when the top is folded; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the arrange ment shown in Fig.

In Fig. 1 there is a main supporting memher 1 which will be straight for a greater portion of its length, but will be curved at its lower end and will have attached to it an auxiliary supporting member 2, which Specification of Lettersli atent. Application filed A ril 6, 1912.: Serial 110,688,824.

l fr"t ntedse ty iiei i will conform in shaloe to the: main member, be ng straight for the greater portion of its t hy ngage either ofthese two sockets engagement by means length and curved at its lower end. The

means of attachment of the auxiliary memher to the main supporting; member comprise a socket 3 mounted at the lower end of the main member, and a second sockett offset from the main member at a point intermediate of the ends of the same. At the V lower end of the auxiliary member there is mounted a pin 5 vwhich'ris adapted to deand to be held in such of a cotter pin 6. s, v

By offsetting the upper socket 1, it is possible to permit the main and auxiliary supports to lie in substantially the same plane'when the top is in its raised position,

the only .portion of the auxiliary member which s not in such a plane being the 'lowerend, which is, of course, in a plane paralleltof, but spaced from, the imaginary plane already mentioned. When the members are engaged inthe lower 1 position of theitop, it;'will be seen from'Fig. 2 that theauxlliary and supporting members will not only be, in the same plane throughout theirlength,but will be parallel to each other, the curved portion of the auxiliary member conforming substantially to the curved portion of the main-member.

The advantages of sucha construction" areseveral- The bows of the top are very much more sightly in appearance, and when used with curved supporting members and in the folded position, a compactness is secured which is not possible with any other construction. q p

Other, modes of applying the principleof myinvention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein. disclosed, 1,

provided'the means stated byflthe following claim or the equivalent of suchstated means f I I I and dis- T be employed. 3

I therefore particularly point out tinctly claim as my invention In a vehicle top support, thecombination I:

of a main supporting member curved 'at its lower end, said member having an engag ing member mounted intermediate .its ends and extending laterally therefrom and a similar engaging member mounted at the vlower end of said .supporting member, and

an auxiliary supportingimember having a similar curved portion adjacent one end, in contact throughout theiflength, thereby 10 such end being adapted to, engage either facilitating their interconnection and the such offset, laterally engaging member, or attachment of a cover for. said vehicle top. such member at the end of sald main rhem- Signed by me this 3 day of April, 1912.

5 her, whereby, in the first-named position, FRED K LEWIS said main and auxiliary supporting mem- V bers Will lie parallel to each other through Attested Icytheir straight portions, and in the second I FRANK W. WAGNER, position, said members will lie substantially ,LEWIS A, AMsnnN.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' i Washington,D. C. I Y 

